Persons skilled in the art know of the various operations to which almond kernels and other nuts and dried fruits are subjected during their processing phase. In the specific case of almonds, once they have been shelled they are presented to the consumer in various manners. On one hand, natural kernel results from breaking the outer shell (endocarp), said kernel consisting of a seed bearing the outer husk or skin. If this husk is extracted, both the kernel obtained and the process for separating the skin are commonly known as “blanched kernel” or “blanching”. Once this blanched kernel is obtained, it can now be subjected to fragmenting operations to obtain sections in the form of flakes, sticks, cubes, etc., together with quite a significant amount of flour.
To blanch kernels today, they are previously immersed for a certain time in a warm water bath such that the husk softens and can then be removed. The drawback of this process is that a considerable amount of humidity is added to the kernel, with all the problems that water activity produces in foods, such that it is necessary to reduce that humidity immediately with the help of dryers and to then cool the kernel for storage.
However, when almonds have to be processed to obtain flakes, sticks, cubes, etc., if this operation is done on blanched kernels with a degree of humidity of 3 or 4%, considerable waste (flour production) is inevitably produced, in addition to having rather poor quality. This is because the kernel has to be elastic (or flexible) to easily cut it, so it is clear that temperature and humidity parameters must be controlled, all this depending on various factors. In processes used today, these control operations are performed by means of a continuous monitoring system, so there has to be an operator who is dedicated exclusively to feeding the machine.
Processors today have to divert part of the production of blanched kernels for industrialization, leaving them with a higher percentage of humidity, then they are passed through a machine known as an “elasticizer”, where the blanched kernels are heated with the help of gas burners, such that with the action of the heat the kernels become softer, making them easier to cut. This process has drawbacks because, firstly, blanching must be regulated to obtain an almond with humidity, which is difficult to control, and secondly, the almonds must be processed rather quickly to prevent them from spoiling, which is rather impractical; blanched almonds for cutting cannot be purchased, nor can they be blanched and industrialized at the same time.
The most common manner of working is therefore making flakes and sticks with blanched almonds with little humidity, which almonds are heated with the elasticizer, but the results are not, as stated, very satisfactory. Furthermore, a new market demanding natural kernel flakes, and therefore dry kernel, the elaboration of which is barely profitable with current systems due to the high percentage of waste (flour) that is produced, has recently come about.
Taking into account the drawbacks of the current art mentioned briefly above, the main objective of the present invention is the development of an elasticizing device for almonds and the like, whereby providing effective solutions to the problems associated with waste and loss in current processes. This objective has been fully met by means of the device that will be described below, the essential features of which are described in the characterizing part of the attached claim 1.
Essentially, the elasticizing device proposed by the invention is typically based on thorough control of the humidity acting on the almond object of treatment, for which purpose the device consists of an elongated body or casing with a generally cylindrical shape, the inside of which houses sweeping means for sweeping the product preferably consisting of a spindle (or worm screw), extended longitudinally, axially coinciding with the axis of the device. The body has a plurality of steam inlet nozzles through which steam is supplied, said steam coming from an external generator, into the inner space of the body of the device, the process being controlled with respect to temperature and degree of humidity inside by means of suitable sensors. The device further comprises elements for regulating the rotating speed of the product sweep spindle, depending on both the mentioned parameters of humidity and temperature, so that the dwell time of the product as it is moving inside the body of the device is only the time necessary to provide the almond with the right amount of humidity for correct elasticizing thereof, and to also reduce the need for subsequent drying with the subsequent energy savings this entails.
The device of the invention therefore allows assuring satisfactory results in terms of elasticizing the almond, favorably solving the problems affecting devices and machines of the current art, as mentioned above. The processing operations for processing the product are further simplified, with the subsequent economic savings this entails in terms of production expenses.